Newspapers & Love
by Kilalahinanaruto555
Summary: Sasuke has always loved Sakura, since the accident that took his parents away from him. Sakura has always loved Sasuke back, but they never really even talked in an actual conversation before. With Sasuke as a soccer protégé, and Sakura as head editor of the school newspaper. How could they? Until now... T for swearing! One-shot! AU setting! SasuxSaku!


**Hi! **This is my first one-shot! But tell me what you think this is written for **Animelover1112 **(Now know as **Emiko Aika**!) For winning the contest of mine on my Desert Lily story it started on chapter 24 but she was the winner on chapter 25! Well enough of my ramblings on with the story! **Bye!**

**Newspapers & Love**

"How did I get to be editor of the newspaper again?" Sakura asked her assistant and one of her best friends Tenten who had her feet up on her desk.

Tenten was wearing a dark forest green T-shirt with dark blue jeans and a pair of old ratty sneakers. The only thing girly or different about Tenten's appearance was a dark green clip in her hair. The clip was placed where some hair had been slipping over the past few days. Sakura of course thought the clip was cute as Tenten hated it. Tenten though just shrugged and continued to read the new issue of the newspaper they had just finished printing this morning.

Sakura groaned as she rubbed her head where the start of a new headache was being. Her bubble gum pink hair was in a ponytail today but strands kept slipping from their place to fall in front of her heart shaped face. While she wore little make up her bright green eyes still looked starling against the snowy paleness of her skin. She wore a simple white T-shirt and black pants while a denim jacket covered her arms. Her black shoes although new where scuffed and needed a good cleaning.

Sakura looked around her small, four walled, no window office. Which manly consisted of her desk, Tenten's, an old computer, some photos of their friends that hung in frames and lastly a filing cabinet filled to the brim of old dusty newspapers. Sakura eyed the newspapers warily, knowing that some day she would have to throw them out. The walls where a dull blue color which Sakura wondered if they could get painted a brighter color. The room was dull and besides the rustling of papers, computer beeps, and Tenten sighing of boredom, eerily quiet.

Just then there was a knock at the door and in pop Naruto who shot the photos for the newspaper. Which surprised everyone since Naruto had to be still to take them and he could barely do that. But the photos were amazing and Sakura seeing this hired him in an heartbeat. For a second the actual name for Naruto's job slipped Sakura's mind as Naruto began to speak.

"Sakura a guy is here to answer your ad in the paper! I don't like him, I liked Kiba better!" Naruto shouted while Sakura groaned again. She was already having a bad day and now she had an interview to do also.

Sakura sighed and shook her head at Naruto who frowned and left to get the guy who answered the ad. Tenten gave Sakura a sympathetic smile as Sakura blew a stray strand hair out of her face. Kiba had left the paper because of an broken wrist preventing him from writing or typing for the rest of the school year. Hence forth Sakura sent out an ad in the paper to find a replacement. It was sent out that very day since Kiba wrote a story on front page every week.

_'It was a good thing Kiba had finished that last article before his accident.' _Sakura thought as she went though her drawers looking for a pen to write with. _'Otherwise all we would have for the front page would be the lunch schedule.' _Just then the door opened and Sakura's heart stopped. As it usually did whenever he appeared and she hated her reaction.

There stood Sasuke Uchiha wearing a black T-shirt with dark blue pants and black shoes. His hair was in his usual chicken butt style and his black onyx eyes examined Sakura as she tried to control her beating heart. Tenten motioned for Sasuke to sit down as Sakura cleared her throat. After a moment Sakura narrowed her eyes at Sasuke hating him for the effect he had on her. While Sasuke's own heart felt a pang it sometimes did whenever he was by Sakura.

"So Sasuke what do you want?" Sakura asked brushing her hand though her hair trying to get the strands back into place. Tenten watched with a mixture of interest and boredom at the sight of Sasuke and Sakura clashing. Sasuke smirked at Sakura's question however and leaned back against the chair.

"I want to be in the paper. What else would I be doing here?" Sasuke countered as Sakura rolled her eyes sighing before ducking under her desk for the papers to have him fill out. They needed a new writer and Sasuke so far was the only one signing up for the job.

Unfortunately the desk was unhelpful today as Sakura wrestled to opened the drawer. Sakura cursed and muttered under her breath as she rattled it. After what felt like forever a pale hand came over Sakura's and gently glided the drawer open. Sakura quickly snatched the papers out of the drawer slamming it shut as Sasuke barely saved his fingers from being crushed. Sakura sat up quickly as Sasuke walked back to his chair as Sakura refused to look at his eyes. Afraid that if she looked at his eyes he could see how much she loved his hand on hers and how much she hated her reaction to it.

"I'm guessing you don't want me on your team?" Sasuke asked as he caressed his fingers although they were unscratched. Sakura shook her head and sighed giving the papers to Sasuke before she answered.

"Just fill out the papers and get back to me by tomorrow. You will start at the bottom which is the mail guy and you will work your way up. No excuses! I'm already having a bad day and I don't need a whiner on my team! I already have Naruto but he takes amazing pictures! So get back to me by tomorrow!" Sakura ordered as Sasuke stared at her unblinking while his dark black eyes scanned Sakura. As she was trying to open another drawer and was failing once again.

"You still didn't answer my question." Sasuke said his voice unusually quiet and low for someone who was the captain of the best soccer team in the school. Sakura sighed as she remember the question and looked at Sasuke's eyes before replying.

"No. I don't want you here, since I already lost Kiba! And I can't lose another member of course! You play soccer so I don't need you turning up late! Also I don't like your girlfriend hanging around here! So do there's your answer! Now be happy with it!" Sakura said with a huff as Sasuke smirked again before standing and placing his hands flat on Sakura's desk. Sasuke brought his face so close to hers that the shared the same exact air. Making it almost impossible for Sakura to breath. It was then with Sakura's heart beating twice as fast that Sasuke spoke.

"Yes. I understand about Kiba. You won't lose another member. I will continue to play soccer but I won't turn up late. I broke up with Karin before I applied. Lastly... See you tomorrow." Sasuke said before he stood to full height and smile at Sakura a smile she had never seen him give to anyone else before. Sasuke saluted Sakura before he turned and left the office. Although his face was blank his eyes still wore the smile he gave to Sakura.

Sakura sunk into her chair with a sigh before she smiled and placed a hand over her frantic heart. Loving the feeling but also dreading at the meaning to it. Tenten raised a brow at Sakura who turned to her and blushed. Sakura muttered something as she moved papers around.

"Go get me Temari! I still have to get an article from her!" Sakura shouted as Tenten hopped out of the office. As soon as Tenten had left Sakura return to her smile for a second which melted to a scowl.

_'Damn Sasuke! Damn him! Why does it have to be him? Why not someone like Kiba or something!... Still I never saw that smile before...' _Sakura thought as she leaned back in her chair wonderment on her face from Sasuke's surprising smile.

**-SxSxSxSxSxSxSxS-**

Over the next few weeks since Sasuke sighed up he had not missed a day. Sasuke was still here determined not to disappoint Sakura even coming in his soccer uniform and cleats. Sakura had even given some days off just because she knew he would never make it some days when he had a soccer match and his job. Tenten had kept a watchful eye on Sakura and Sasuke's behavior and noticed just a few things.

Sasuke was in love with Sakura, as Sakura was in love with Sasuke.

It was the simple things that they did that made it so easy to see. Whenever Sakura gave Sasuke his assignment and promoted him (_'Which she had done at least twice now'_ Tenten thought) she would always smile. Sasuke in turn would move some of her hair over from her face, give her a new smile, or just nod with a light in his eyes. Either way Sasuke was the only other guy to come in here on a regular basis. Besides Neji who only came after work to pick up Tenten from the office.

Once again the door opened and Sasuke stepped in. As Tenten watched from the corner of her eye the soon to be couple as they made small talk.

"So my Assignment?" Sasuke asked as Sakura gave him a smile and nodded. Soon she opened to drawer very easily, since Sasuke oiled it and told her to be patient with it more. Of course Tenten had noticed this too but said nothing to Sakura. Waiting to see which one was going to be the first to tell about their feelings.

Sakura was getting used to his presence until Sasuke sat down on her desk. Sakura bolted up straight and pushed him off her desk as she laid his assignment directly on the place he had once been sitting. Sasuke smirked at Sakura who ignored him and started at explain his assignment.

"The people of this school want to know how love can change you. So your assignment is going to be your most challenging-" Sakura broke off as Sasuke laughed and shook his head. Sakura blinked at his laugh that was mean and sounded as though it didn't matter what she was saying.

"Why do you think this will be my most challenging?" Sasuke asked a smirk still on his face as Sakura blinked at him. She was used to most of his questions but they still caught her by surprise most of the time.

"I mean... well because you never fell in love and so you won't have basis to write on." Sakura answer as Sasuke frowned and his face grew dark despite his ever-lasting smirk.

"Oh so I haven't fallen in love have I?" Sasuke said moving his face even closer than last time to Sakura's. His eyes were cold and his face hard he didn't stop until their lips just barely an inch away before he jerked up right and turned to the door, "... I'll have the article done by Friday. Then I quit." was all he said before he opened the door. But to his surprise as well as her own Sakura replied.

"That doesn't surprise me! See you on Friday!" Sakura shouted as Sasuke slammed the door shut behind him. Sakura however was having a problem, her heart told her to go after him and ask him what he meant. But of course her head told her she had done the right thing that he deserved it. Sasuke was a jerk he might be a soccer protégé but he still was a jerk.

"Damn him!" Sakura yelled at no one in particular and punch her desk. She made a small indent as pain shot though her hand. Sakura gasped as she growled and placed her hand flat on her head. Sakura leaned back into her chair trying to understand why Sasuke made it so hard to love him?

_'WHAT A MINUTE!' _she thought _'Did I just think I was in love with Sasuke Uchiha?' _Sakura blinked and turned to Tenten who watched her friend with concern in her big chocolate brown eyes. Sakura sighed and shook her head before she even answered the question in her friends eyes.

"Tenten... am I in love with him?" Sakura asked as Tenten put down the paper in her hands. Tenten smiled at Sakura before she replied.

"You will answer that question yourself on Friday... Oh and don't let him quit! Temari can barely do one article so two is going to kill her!" Tenten said before going back to her brand new paper. Leaving Sakura to fend with her own thoughts.

**-Sasuke-**

"Damn that pink haired over-achieving... How stupid can she freaking be?" Sasuke shouted pacing around his empty living room shouting at nothing but couch pillows. He stopped and plopped onto the gray couch as though waiting for an answer he knew would never come.

It had been at least ten years since his parents abandoned him. They hadn't wanted to but they wanted to help other countries like the Sand and such. They had left Sasuke with Itachi who got sick and died 5 years later. Sasuke had hoped his parents would come back soon after his brothers death. That was when Sasuke found the letter Itachi had hidden from him saying that his parents were dead. That they had died from an outbreak from a disease that Sasuke didn't understand from his young age.

Sasuke at the time hated everything and everyone. But it was also the time he found that he felt something new for Sakura other than annoyance. He felt as though she given him something he had before he found the letter of his parents death. Hope is what Sakura gave Sasuke and the strength to fight. It was her love also that gave Sasuke his will to fight because no matter how much strength you have. It means nothing if you have nothing in turn to fight for.

"Why? Why can't she see that I need her?... Why does it have to be so hard to make her see that I love her?" Sasuke asked the pillows yet again. His voice caught and cracked as he fought off the tears. He hadn't cried in ten years. The last time was when his parents left and after that no tears ever flowed again. Sasuke sighed and laid down on the couch trying hard to come up with a solution.

_'I broke up with Karin because I knew Sakura would never hire me if I was dating her. I didn't even want to date her to begin with! The only reason I even liked Karin was because she reminded me just a bit like Sakura with her hair. We never even kissed when we were dating! The only reason I signed up was so I could work with Sakura!... Sakura.' _Sasuke thought with a sigh and turned on the couch.

"Sakura I love you. Why don't you understand yet?" Sasuke asked the wall before he closed his eyes and drifted off into a place where his family was alive and Sakura was there with him.

**-SxSxSxSxSxSxSxS-**

Sasuke didn't come back into work the next couple of days. Sakura glanced at the door again as she hurried to write a letter to the principle to buy a new printer. Sakura knew two possible reasons Sasuke didn't come back. One was that he was still sore over the fight three days ago. Of course this didn't make much since to Sakura because it had been three days ago. The second one was that he was too busy working on his report to come in.

It was the second one that made Sakura feel better. Tenten watched as Sakura glanced at the door again, sigh and continue to write. Tenten wondered what was taking Sasuke so long to write the freaking article. Of course though he was a guy and Tenten wouldn't be surprised to hear Sakura saying how it was done last minute and that he was fired. With a sigh Tenten put down her weekly paper and give Sakura a sad look.

"Sakura listen just tell Sasuke how you feel! The chances of him saying the same thing as at least 50/50!" Tenten said smiling as Sakura shook her own head before turning it to the ceiling smiling at it for a second before she turned to Tenten.

"Your probably right but this is Sasuke were talking about and if he doesn't love me... I'll be the laughing stock of the school." Sakura sighed as Tenten threw a pen at her. Sakura automatically yelped in pain as Tenten laughed. Sakura then glared at Tenten as she tried to calm down from her laughing fit.

"Why the hell did you throw a pen at me?" Sakura yelled as Tenten wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. She was still smiling as Sakura's glared faded into a look of annoyance and anger. Tenten waved a hand at Sakura as though dismissing the whole thing before she spoke.

"Probably right? Dude I'm always right! And your the newspaper editor! Like where going to make a story about Sasuke not dating you! Lastly I'm sorry I threw a pen at you it was the first thing that came to mind!" Tenten explained with a shrug as Sakura digested this.

"Well where just going to have to wait until Friday then huh?" Sakura asked eying the door again as Tenten sighed and nodded her head. Although it sounded easy and it is easy to wait it actually. But it's very hard to wait to hear if someone you love really does loves you back.

**-SxSxSxSxSxSxSxS-**

Friday. It was finally time as Sakura opened the door of her office Tenten right behind her as she stepped in. And stepped right onto a small pile of lined paper held in place by a rubber band and had a note right on top. Sakura looked at Tenten before she bent to pick it up. They were the first ones there and everyone still had yet to arrive. The first thing she saw in the dark office before even turning on the lights was that the note read in big bold letters Sakura's name. Tenten quickly flipped on the light switch and Sakura's name seemed to be even bigger. Sakura and Tenten shared another glance before sitting down and opening the letter. Which read,

_Dear Sakura,_  
><em>I am sorry about having to quit this way but after you read the article... Of course I won't have the guts to face you. But just now that I am sorry. That I will miss you deeply. And that working with you has been... No words could actually describe it. But here a try. It was horrible, terrific, cool, and stupid. Sakura forgive me and please if this changes things... let them be good.<em>  
><em>Love, Sasuke<em>

Sakura and Tenten exchanged another look before bursting out with laughter. Both of them knew that Sasuke didn't mean this and if he did... it was still funny. The card was so... cheesy and stupid that Sakura's side started to hurt as she continued to laugh. Finally after a few minutes they decided to read the articles both ready for another laugh. But it didn't come; all that came was a feeling of total and utter shock.

_Love changes you: Good or Bad  
>By Sasuke Uchiha<em>

_Love is one of the most complicated and most stupid emotion there is. This is no question but part of a common fact. Love can change a man of high stature to something pitiful. Love is all around us and there is no escaping it. From the lightest of heroes love can turn them into the most evil villain._

Sakura blinked at the beginning, Sasuke was calling love stupid. This isn't something she had expect but then again this was Sasuke Uchiha she was talking about. As Sakura read on her confusion showed even more.

_Good people believe that love will solve there problems when it doesn't. Bad people believe that it won't do them any good because there can't change. I believe that love is a reason we get up in the morning. Love is powerful and yet so simple, we take it for granted everyday. From the most evil of villain love can turn them into the lightest of heroes._

Now he was saying that we couldn't live without love. Who is this guy and how did he get rid of Sasuke Uchiha? Sakura sighed as she read on with Tenten reading over her shoulder.

_One thing I do know for a fact is that love can change you. Those people who believe it won't are wrong. Because it happened to me... I was in a dark place and that's when I met her. She showed me kindness in a way I didn't think possible. Cheesy, I know and there is a point to this and I'm getting there. You can change love also by showing it in many different ways._

Sakura scoffed at the paper and rolled her eyes at it. Now it started to sound like a paper that Sasuke Uchiha would right. Sakura sighed and with small smile she read the last paragraph as Sasuke finally explained.

_The point of it all is that love can change you from something so dark to light. And from light to darkness also. Love is a mystery. Like those who we truly love are a mystery before we even met them. Like how Sakura Haruno __was a mystery before I really got to know her. Love is one of those weird emotions that never, no matter how much we wish that they would, go away. But when we do find it, we never want to leave it. That and this is how love changes us, and how we can change love. Because even in the dark there is light and even in the light there is dark. Love is always and yet never taking sides._

Sakura blinked as she put down the paper as Tenten let out a hushed breath. With one look they knew that they shouldn't have had laughed at the note because now it explained a lot of things. Sasuke was basically saying sorry for loving Sakura when she really loved him too. Sakura groaned and leaned back into her chair muttering "I'm an idiot" to herself in her pity party. Tenten watched for a second before she threw another pen at Sakura.

"What was that for this time?" Sakura asked as she grabbed the pen as it hit the floor. Tenten blinked and shook her head at Sakura before answering.

"You were having a pity party when you should be after Sasuke! You both feel the exact same way about each other now get your stuff and go! I'll handle things here! MOVE!" Tenten screamed as she grabbed Sakura's bag and coat before she shoved them into Sakura's arms.

Pushing Sakura out the door was a lot easier than it sounded as Tenten finally closed the door on the bewildered Sakura. Sakura nodded and took off without a word. She was already driving down the street to Sasuke's house when she realized that today was his soccer practice. Sakura, who obeyed the law thanks to her dad being a street monitor, did an illegal 'U' turn and drove back to school.

Sasuke was just walking out of the building already dressed in his uniform when someone body slammed him to the ground. Sasuke groaned as he looked up into the beautiful green eyes of Sakura. Sasuke's breath caught in his throat as he realized the look that was in her eyes. The same one he would get looking at or even thinking about her. Sasuke smirked and held a finger to Sakura's lips before she could even get a word in.

"Sakura yes I love you and I know you love me too now. But your crushing me, I have soccer practice that I haven't missed yet, your crushing me, and did I mention that your crushing me!" Sasuke almost yelled as Sakura got off of him. Sakura opened her mouth to say something when Sasuke's lips collided into hers.

Sakura's heart skipped at least four beats before she started to kiss Sasuke back. The kiss was sweet and nice and made Sakura's heart belt out song after song. She wanted more but by them Sasuke had pulled away and before she realized they were both standing. Sasuke gave her a small peck on the lips before he pulled her close. Sasuke buried his face into her hair as Sakura smiled and pressed her cheek into his chest.

"You can have more after soccer practice, I promise." Sasuke spoke quietly as Sakura closed her eyes.

Sasuke's breath was warm against her ear and neck. Of course it was September and all Sakura was wearing was her faded blue jeans black T-shirt and denim jacket. Sakura nodded and smiled at Sasuke as he pressed his lips against her once more. Neither wanting to end the moment but both of them knew they had to. Sakura held Sasuke's hand as they walked to the soccer field. As Sakura and Sasuke had managed to find love in each other. Both of them of course happy to have found the one they love.

**So **what did you think? Did it kind of sound like Sasuke? I thinks he's the hardest for me to write about. He's so... cool but yet as some... romance in him... I think? XD No he's romantic! Hard to write about but romantic! XD Well that's all for now! No longer story but maybe more contests on the way! Until next time! **Bye!**


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